Review
Genetics & Heredity
Aoran Huang, Guangying Guo, Yanqiu Yu, Li Yao
Summary: Collagen plays a crucial role in diseases like renal fibrosis and vascular calcification, and its overexpression exacerbates disease progression. Targeting collagen overexpression can prevent or slow the development of these diseases, with stem cell therapy showing potential as an effective treatment strategy.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR MEDICINE-JMM
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Aurore Devocelle, Lola Lecru, Sophie Ferlicot, Thomas Bessede, Jean-Jacques Candelier, Julien Giron-Michel, Helene Francois
Summary: IL-15 can prevent tubulointerstitial fibrosis (TIF) by directly inhibiting extracellular matrix synthesis by interstitial myofibroblasts and reducing the expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), thereby inhibiting macrophage infiltration in UUO.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Akitoshi Hara, Michelle D. Tallquist
Summary: The intricate interplay between inflammatory and reparative responses in the context of heart injury is central to the pathogenesis of heart failure. Recent studies have focused on the interplay between fibroblasts and immune cells, bringing us closer to the identification of cell type-specific targets for intervention.
CURRENT CARDIOLOGY REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Dimitrios Kalafatis, Anna Loefdahl, Per Naesman, Goeran Dellgren, Asa M. Wheelock, Linda Elowsson Rendin, Magnus Skoeld, Gunilla Westergren-Thorsson
Summary: This study utilized a novel ex vivo model to investigate the association between protein changes in serum of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and disease severity and treatment response. The findings support the applicability of the model in studying IPF mechanisms and provide additional evidence for established and potentially new biomarkers in IPF.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Line Maersk Staunstrup, Cecilie Liv Bager, Peder Frederiksen, Jorn Wulff Helge, Soren Brunak, Claus Christiansen, Morten Karsdal
Summary: Endotrophin levels are associated with multiple chronic diseases, increasing with the number of morbidities, and serve as a predictor of death in older women. This suggests that endotrophin may play a central role in fibroblast function and could be targeted for intervention in various chronic diseases.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alexandra Louise Moller, Stefanie Thoeni, Felix Keller, Samir Sharifli, Daniel Guldager Kring Rasmussen, Federica Genovese, Morten Asser Karsdal, Gert Mayer
Summary: This study investigated the effect of combination therapy of renin-angiotensin system inhibition and sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors on endotrophin levels in individuals with type 2 diabetes. The results showed that combination therapy led to a significant reduction in endotrophin levels and a lower risk of kidney disease progression.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Gianluca Mucciolo, Claudia Curcio, Cecilia Roux, Wanda Y. Li, Michela Capello, Roberta Curto, Roberto Chiarle, Daniele Giordano, Maria Antonietta Satolli, Rita Lawlor, Aldo Scarpa, Pavol Lukac, Dmitry Stakheev, Paolo Provero, Luca Vannucci, Tak W. Mak, Francesco Novelli, Paola Cappello
Summary: Interleukin-17A (IL17A) plays a crucial role in tumor fibroblasts and the tumor microenvironment, with IL17A knockout leading to increased desmoplastic reaction and altered immune cell infiltration. Fibroblasts with and without IL17A exhibit distinct genetic profiles, suggesting potential as a target for immune-based therapies in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nadja Sparding, Michaela Neprasova, Dita Maixnerova, Federica Genovese, Morten Asser Karsdal, Marek Kollar, Helena Koprivova, Zdenka Hruskova, Vladimir Tesar
Summary: Kidney fibrosis, a characteristic of chronic kidney disease, can be assessed by measuring different biomarkers of collagen type III. In this study, three collagen type III biomarkers were measured in serum and urine samples of IgA nephropathy patients. The results showed that these biomarkers provided different information about fibrotic burden and had different correlations with the degree of fibrosis in kidney biopsies. Measuring different fragments of the same ECM protein in different matrices can provide valuable insights into pathological kidney tissue alterations in patients with IgA nephropathy.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Li Li, Meizhi Lu, Yiling Peng, Junxin Huang, Xiaoman Tang, Jian Chen, Jing Li, Xue Hong, Meizhi He, Haiyan Fu, Ruiyuan Liu, Fan Fan Hou, Lili Zhou, Youhua Liu
Summary: Depletion of GPX3 in the renal tubular epithelium plays a central role in orchestrating an oxidatively stressed extracellular microenvironment, which drives interstitial fibroblast activation and proliferation.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Rukshika S. Hewawasam, Rachel Blomberg, Predrag Serbedzija, Chelsea M. Magin
Summary: Tissue fibrosis is a serious health condition, and there is a need for model systems that can better mimic the changes in the fibrotic extracellular microenvironment. In this study, human decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) was chemically modified and incorporated into a tunable hybrid-hydrogel system to recapitulate the mechanical properties of healthy tissue types and mimic a fibrotic microenvironment.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Melanie Tepus, Elisa Tonoli, Elisabetta A. M. Verderio
Summary: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a global health issue affecting up to 16% of the population worldwide. If left untreated, it can progress to end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), requiring dialysis or transplantation. Kidney fibrosis, the unsuccessful wound-healing of kidney tissue, is the end point of CKD. Urinary extracellular vesicles (uEVs), which carry low-abundant proteins and large molecules, are a potential source of rare CKD biomarkers. This review discusses the diagnostic and prognostic value of uEVs biomarkers and their potential application in experimental antifibrotic therapeutics.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Marcello Rubino, Joshua G. Travers, Alaina L. Headrick, Blake T. Enyart, Madeleine E. Lemieux, Maria A. Cavasin, Jessica A. Schwisow, Elizabeth J. Hardy, Keenan J. Kaltenbacher, Marina B. Felisbino, Eric Jonas, Amrut V. Ambardekar, Michael R. Bristow, Keith A. Koch, Timothy A. McKinsey
Summary: Inhibiting the activation of fibroblasts can suppress organ fibrosis, reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart failure. A compound called SW033291 has been found to block the activation of fibroblasts in the heart, lungs, and kidneys, resulting in a decrease in excessive production of extracellular matrix. This compound also reverses the activation of fibroblasts in hearts of heart failure patients. Inhibition of the enzyme 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase could be a potential therapeutic strategy for treating organ fibrosis.
CIRCULATION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Orthopedics
Mengjie Chen, Haibing Chen, Yonggui Gu, Peng Sun, Jianxiong Sun, Haojun Yu, Hongliang Zheng, Donghui Chen
Summary: The study reveals that purinergic receptor P2Y2 plays a crucial role in skeletal muscle atrophy and fibrosis, regulating the activity of muscle cells and fibroblasts after muscle injury to impact the development of the pathology.
BMC MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS
(2021)
Article
Biology
Jill T. Kuwabara, Akitoshi Hara, Sumit Bhutada, Greg S. Gojanovich, Jasmine Chen, Kanani Hokutan, Vikram Shettigar, Anson Y. Lee, Lydia P. DeAngelo, Jack R. Heckl, Julia R. Jahansooz, Dillon K. Tacdol, Mark T. Ziolo, Suneel S. Apte, Michelle D. Tallquist
Summary: Reducing fibroblasts in the heart has a protective effect and can alleviate cardiac fibrosis after injury. The loss of fibroblasts does not significantly alter the quantitative composition of the extracellular matrix (ECM) but reduces the distribution and quantity of collagen VI. This study has important implications for the treatment of heart disease.
Article
Cell Biology
Fatma Saaoud, Laisel Martinez, Yifan Lu, Keman Xu, Ying Shao, Jia L. Zhuo, Avrum Gillespie, Hong Wang, Marwan Tabbara, Alghidak Salama, Xiaofeng Yang, Roberto I. I. Vazquez-Padron
Summary: Most patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) choose hemodialysis as their treatment of choice. This study examined the transcriptome of veins in CKD patients and found that CKD converts veins into immune organs, increases innate immune responses, impairs mitochondrial bioenergetics, reprograms fibrogenic processes, alters cell death and survival programs, and upregulates protein kinase signal transduction pathways and transcription factors for embryonic organ development, positive regulation of developmental growth, and muscle structure development in veins. These findings provide novel insights on the roles of veins as immune endocrine organs and the effect of CKD in upregulating secretomes and driving immune and vascular cell differentiation.
Article
Virology
Changtai Wang, Zhongping Liu, Zixiang Chen, Xin Huang, Mengyuan Xu, Tengfei He, Zhenhua Zhang
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY
(2020)
Letter
Immunology
Changtai Wang, Mengyuan Xu, Zhenhua Zhang
JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY IMMUNOLOGY AND INFECTION
(2021)
Article
Virology
Yafei Zhang, Changtai Wang, Mingfeng Han, Jun Ye, Yong Gao, Zhongping Liu, Tengfei He, Tuantuan Li, Mengyuan Xu, Luping Zhou, Guizhou Zou, Mengji Lu, Zhenhua Zhang
Article
Immunology
Mingfeng Han, Mengyuan Xu, Yafei Zhang, Zhongping Liu, Shasha Li, Tengfei He, Jinsong Li, Yong Gao, Wanjun Liu, Tuantuan Li, Zixiang Chen, Xin Huang, Guoling Cheng, Jun Wang, Ulf Dittmer, Oliver Witzke, Guizhou Zou, Xiuyong Li, Mengji Lu, Zhenhua Zhang
MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND IMMUNOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Virology
Jian Yu, Shanshan Sun, Qianqian Tang, Chengzhuo Wang, Liangchen Yu, Lulu Ren, Jun Li, Zhenhua Zhang
Summary: COVID-19 is caused by the highly infectious SARS-CoV-2, with mutations affecting vaccine efficacy. Analysis of different clades of SARS-CoV-2 revealed low mutation rates and distinctive characterizing mutations, aiding in the design of targeted antiviral strategies based on geographic distribution.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Urology & Nephrology
Zhengmao Zhang, Hanwen Bai, Jon Blumenfeld, Andrew B. Ramnauth, Irina Barash, Martin Prince, Adrian Y. Tan, Alber Michaeel, Genyan Liu, Ines Chicos, Lior Rennert, Stavros Giannakopoulos, Karen Larbi, Stuart Hughes, Steven P. Salvatore, Brian D. Robinson, Sandip Kapur, Hanna Rennert
Summary: The study revealed pathogenic germline and somatic mutations of PKD1/2 in kidney cyst epithelium of ADPKD patients, supporting a cellular recessive mechanism for cystogenesis.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF NEPHROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Jin Wang, Jun Ye, Liqi Yang, Xiangfeng Chen, Haoshu Fang, Zhou Liu, Guomei Xia, Yafei Zhang, Zhenhua Zhang
Summary: Recently, inconsistency between mNGS results and clinical diagnoses has become more common, and the interpretation of mNGS reports still needs to be standardized. In this study, a retrospective analysis was conducted to evaluate the credibility of mNGS results in patients with suspected central nervous system infections using an integral approach.
BMC INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Zhengmao Zhang, Jon Blumenfeld, Andrew Ramnauth, Irina Barash, Pengbo Zhou, Daniel Levine, Thomas Parker, Hanna Rennert
Summary: This study identified a risk variant of PKD genes, rs3874648G>A, which attenuates PKD1 expression through Tra2-beta, leading to reduced phenotypic expression of ADPKD. The findings provide insights into the genetic and environmental factors contributing to the variability of ADPKD phenotype.
Review
Oncology
Junchao Wu, Sijie Yu, Yalan Wang, Jie Zhu, Zhenhua Zhang
Summary: This article summarizes the structure, basic functions, and relationship with diseases of RPP30, and reviews its application as an internal reference gene and its advantages over traditional internal reference genes. The characteristics of RPP30 suggest that it has the potential to be selected as an internal reference gene, but further research is needed.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Priya Velu, Lin Cong, Sophie Rand, Yuqing Qiu, Zhengmao Zhang, Jianxuan Zhang, Jianfen Guo, Phyllis Ruggiero, Ashley Sukhu, Kathy Fauntleroy, Eddie Imada, Claudio Zanettini, David Brundage, Lars Westblade, Luigi Marchionni, Melissa M. Cushing, Hanna Rennert
Summary: This study evaluated the performance of a SARS-CoV-2 detection method that can identify two mutations in the spike protein. The accuracy of the method was compared to whole genome sequencing, and the results showed high concordance. The method is rapid and can be implemented in routine clinical settings.
DIAGNOSTIC MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Lumin Yang, Yafei Zhang, Ke Zhang, Zhongping Liu, Tengfei He, Xiaowei Zheng, Lei Li, Elias S. J. Arner, Zhenhua Zhang, Jinsong Zhang
Summary: The study demonstrates that DOC may be a promising complementary biomarker for monitoring disease in chronic hepatitis B patients, especially when ALT levels are normal.
Article
Biology
Xiaojun Jin, Qun Cai, Zhenhua Zhang, Jifang Sheng
ARCHIVES OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2020)